‘Paul Cezanne’ Articles at Open Spacehttp://openspace.sfmoma.org
Open Space is a hybrid, interdisciplinary publishing platform for artists, writers, et al.Fri, 09 Dec 2016 00:10:02 +0000en-UShourly1https://wordpress.org/?v=4.6.15 Questions: Patricia Albershttp://openspace.sfmoma.org/2011/07/5-questions-patricia-albers/
http://openspace.sfmoma.org/2011/07/5-questions-patricia-albers/#commentsFri, 08 Jul 2011 16:00:23 +0000http://blog.sfmoma.org/?p=29976Five questions to SFMOMA artists, staff, or guests. Some of the most interesting people come through the doors of SFMOMA. Patricia Albers is a local writer, curator, and professor. She was at the museum in mid-June to give a talk to SFMOMA and de Young docents on Joan Mitchell, who is the subject of her ... More]]>

Five questions to SFMOMA artists, staff, or guests. Some of the most interesting people come through the doors of SFMOMA. Patricia Albers is a local writer, curator, and professor. She was at the museum in mid-June to give a talk to SFMOMA and de Young docents on Joan Mitchell, who is the subject of her latest book.

Patricia Albers

There’s the generic interview question that goes, “If you could invite anyone to dinner who would it be?” What I want to know is, what would you serve?

I would invite the subject of my next book, photographer André Kertész, and his wife, Elizabeth Kertész. Since his English was only slightly better than my Hungarian, we’d have an interpreter, too. The food? I’m a vegetarian and don’t cook goulash or sausage dishes, so I’d serve pasta — everybody likes pasta, right? — with a big, colorful salad, and, for dessert, champagne cake with chocolate icing and chocolate ice cream.

If you could steal any artwork in the world to have up in your home, what would it be?

My favorite Copic Multiliner pen and (supposedly) a small pad for taking notes, but I can’t seem to keep track of the pad, so I end up using the backs of deposit slips and whatever scraps of paper I can scrounge.

What’s your favorite tool?

My first cup of coffee when I sit down to work in the morning because it gets my brain going in that quiet moment before the day’s complications hit.

What should I ask you?

You should ask me about my new biography of abstract painter Joan Mitchell, whose Bracket is in SFMOMA’s Fisher Collection. It’s interesting to watch people look at Mitchell’s work, and I know that some find it puzzling. She herself liked to compare it to lyric poetry, by which she meant, I think, that what she’s saying is inseparable from the way it’s being said. And, like poems, her paintings take time to sink in. I’m reminded of that Ed Ruscha quote: “Bad art is ‘Wow! Huh?’ Good art is ‘Huh? Wow!’ ”

You can find more about Patricia Albers here, including information on her books Joan Mitchell, Lady Painter: A Life and Shadows, Fire, Snow: The Life of Tina Modotti. Mitchell’sUntitled(1960) is on view at the museum in the second-floor galleries, and you can hear Albers discuss Modotti and Edward Weston here.

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http://openspace.sfmoma.org/2009/09/five-questions-first/#commentsWed, 09 Sep 2009 13:00:59 +0000http://blog.sfmoma.org/?p=4604New series. The same five questions to SFMOMA visitors, artists, staff, or guests. Let’s see what happens with these over time. Enjoy! Name/ Place of residence/ Occupation/ Hobby? My name is John, I live in San Francisco, California. I am a full-time film student and I’m a full-time cyclist too. Do you collect anything? I ... More]]>

New series. The same five questions to SFMOMA visitors, artists, staff, or guests. Let’s see what happens with these over time. Enjoy!

John on the 4th floor landing

Name/ Place of residence/ Occupation/ Hobby?

My name is John, I live in San Francisco, California. I am a full-time film student and I’m a full-time cyclist too.

I would love to have dinner with Miranda July. She seems really adventurous and really full of life and I’d love to have a conversation with her.

If you could steal any artwork in the world to have up in your house, what would it be?

It would beBoy with Pipe by Picasso. I know at one point it was the most expensive painting in the world. I’m just saying that for reference. But I think it’s a beautiful painting.

What’s your favorite tool?

Camera.

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Bonnie in the SFMOMA offices

Name/Place of residence/Occupation/Hobby?

My name is Bonnie. I live in Berkeley, California. I’m the research manager in the fundraising department at SFMOMA. My hobby is organization.

Do you collect anything?

Yes, way too much stuff. I collect things with owls on them, things with turtles on them, teddy bears, ugly dolls, things that are blue… I collect too much.

If you could invite any artist to dinner, who would it be and why?

Oh, man, that’s tough. I think I would invite Gustave Baumann. He was around the turn of the century or a little bit later and he lived in New Mexico and he did these beautiful, colorful woodblock prints. But he also made puppets. He was busy 24/7 with stuff and I’d like to know how he did that.

If you could steal any artwork in the world to have up in your house, what would it be?

I really liked Martin Puryear’s blue circle. I don’t remember the name of it. But that I would love to have.

What’s your favorite tool?

Sewing machine.

———————

Sue in the Atrium

Name/Place of residence/Occupation/Hobby?

My name is Sue. I live in Castro Valley. I’m a graphic artist and my hobby is acting and singing.

Do you collect anything?

I do collect art, to a minor extent. I collect paintings and sculpture, both abstract and representational. The way I determine whether I’m going to buy a work of art by if it won’t let me leave the gallery or store without it. It really speaks to me and I don’t ever buy art because it goes with a chair or anything like that.

If you could invite any artist to dinner, who would it be and why?

Oh my goodness. Well, just having seen her work, I think probably Georgia O’Keeffe. I just think she’s a fascinating person with a rich history. I love her art and she’s a woman and very independent, successful woman artist.

If you could steal any artwork in the world to have up in your house, what would it be?